Sugar-evaporator



(No Model.)

G. H.-GRIMM 8: H. M. CLARK.

SUGAR EVAPORATOR.

Patented Mar. l7.,

UNITED STATES i PATENT OEEIoE.

GUSTAVE H. GRIMM AND HORACE M. CLARK, HUDSON, OHIO.

SUGAR- EVAPO RATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,476, dated March 7, 1882. Application filed November 21,1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GUSTAVE H. GRIMM and HORACE M. CLARK, citizens of the United States, residing at Hudson, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented ce1'- .tain new and useful apparatus for evaporating sap or other saccharine juices in and for the purpose of manufacture of sugar or sirup therefrom; and'we do hereby declare the following specification to contain a full, clear, and exact description of said apparatus, which will enable those skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same. Figure 1 is a perspective plan of evaporating-furnace with sap-feed pipe, flue, and firescreen with dampers attached. Fig. 2 represents evaporator-pans in system adapted to be placed upon the furnace shown in Fig. l, and provided with pockets to be connected by siphon shown at Fig. 3, said pans joined by chairs adapted to rest upon the upper edge of and across the flue shown in Fig. 1, and aord slide-bearings for the pans and for other purpose, as shown hereinafter. Fig. 3 shows a siphon provided with a cup at extremity of each limb for purpose hereinafter shown, said cups of size to be inserted in the pockets of the evaporator-pans shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view made vertically longitudinally through the pans, Fig. 2, and the furnace, iiue, and fire-screen, Fig. l, showing the pans and furnace in proper combination. Fig. 5 is an elevation of sugar-house in which evaporating furnace and pans are inclosed.

It is well known that juices from which sugar may be extracted by any process of evaporation, it' allowed to stand for any considerable time exposed to the air, suffer deterioration in two respects: First, they become sour, thereby diminishing the quantity of sugar obtainable by simple evaporation; and, second, they become discolored, turning darker than when rst taken from the tree or cane, thereby rendering the sugar obtainable from them by simple evaporation of darker color than it would otherwise be. It is further .found that in all such juices is contained light refuse matter, which is separable therefrom by the process 'of boiling, taking the form of a scum upon the surface of the liquid, and that if allowed to remain too long in the liquid subjected to intense heat such fecal matter, or a portion of it,

is liable to form chemical combinations with the saccharine substance of the sap, thereby diminishing the amount and preventing the purity of the sugar obtainable. It is also found that the iron or copper evaporating pans or kettles hitherto employed darken the sugar by impregnating the sirup with those metals, and that when galvanized or otherwise lead or zinc covered pans are used the sirup and sugar are poisonously impregnated with the metal forming such coating.

The purpose of our invention is to prevent the two first-mentioned changes in the sap by hastening the process of evaporation, and by separating the fecal matter at the earliest pos'- sible stage of the process of evaporation to reduce to the minimum effect the last-named cause of deterioration, and finally to prevent entirely the last-named difficulty by avoiding contact of the sap with any of the metals named. These purposes we accomplish by means of the apparatus shown in the annexed figures, in which like parts are designated by like letters.

The sap is conducted fromV a reservoir (not shown, but which should preferab'ly be placed somewhat higher than the pan A) by pipe a into the coil b, which is pivoted by a swiveljoint at g to the supply-pipe c, and at g to the pipe h, terminating in the discharge-nozzle h'. The coil b may be swung in the direction indicated by the arrow at g, so as to be thrown through the opening 'w into the firebox F, where the sap passing through it will be raised in temperature, and will enter the evaporator-pan A at, or nearly at, the temperature of the liquid already therein, and by so much hasten the process of evaporation, and at the same time effect a saving inthe amount of fuel necessary to produce the result.

Instead of the coil of pipe b, a single broad, Hat pipe may be employed, exposing a large surface to the heat, but having a small areain cross-section. Instead of swinging on swiveljoint, as indicated, the coil or section b may be connected by sleeve-joint to its adjoining sections, a and h, which would then beturned horizontally, and would then be slid-in and out of the tire box through an opening suitably 1ocated.

From the discharge-nozzle h the sap enters the evaporating-pan A, the bottom of which is corrugated or fluted lengthwise, as shown by the flute-ribs m. The flutes t) terminate a short distance from each end ot' the pan A, leaving the spaces or channels a and a', extending crosswise, forming communication between the flutes, so that the liquid may pass freely throughout the pan.

Y The depth of the utes i and consequent height of the ribs m may be as great as desired, thereby adding any desired amount to the surface exposed to the flame below and to the liquid above; but the most rapid evaporation is found to be obtained when the depth of the grooves is notfar from equal to their width, thereby making the heating surface double that afforded by a plain bottom.

e is a clack-valve, having its seat in the mouth of the nozzle h', and connected by the lever s to the oat f. The lever sis pivoted at j to the side of the pan. The float f is designed to be buoyed by the liquid in the pan, and thereby to seat the valve e over the mouth of the nozzle h and cut off the supply when a desired height of liquid in the pan has been attained, which may be regulated by sliding the float up or down on the arm a. The channel n is preferably made deep enough to contain the lever s with its valve e below the bottom of the remainder of the pan, so permitting the discharge-nozzle to enter, as shown, from above, avoiding penetrating the pan at any point, and still open on level with the bottom of the pan, which is desirable in order to allow the reservoir to stand as low as possible for convenience of conducting sap thereto.

v Atthelower end, a', ofthe evaporator-pan A is a pocket or depression,P, the depth of which is from one to three inches below the bottom of the pan-that is to say, below the bottom of the channel n and the flutes t'. Similar pockets, P',.P2, P3, and P4, are provided in the pans B and G, and similar pockets also in all subsequent pans which may be added to the system. These pockets are intended to receive the cups 7c and lc of the siphon shown in Fig. 3, whose limbs l and l', terminating at the bottom of and within the cups 7c and k,rc spectively, are provided at their extremities with ports o and o for thepassage of theliquid from and intothe cups; and the said cups 7c and la', bearing the Siphon-tube tp Z, being inserted one into pocket of one of the pans-as into P and the other into the adjacent pocket of the adjoining panas into P-and subsequent pans of the system of whatever number being similarly connected by similarly constructed and located siphons, free and continuous communication between the liquid in the several pans is effected.

The height ot' the cups k 7c is made equal to the depth of the pockets P, P', P2, P3, and P4, and their length and breadth are made somewhat less than the corresponding dimen sions of the pockets, from which mode of construction it results that the Siphon will take the liquid from near the bottom of the pan, re-

ceiving therefore none ot' the scum of refuse on the surface of the liquid, and by reason of the fact that the bottom of the pocket is the lowest point in the pan, and toward it all flow of the liquid is directed, it will result also that any refuse carried by the current and too heavy to form scum upon the surface will reach and enter the pocket and remain in the bottom of it, being prevented bythe Siphon-cup from entering the siphon, thereby further clearing the liquid at each successive transfer from pan to pan.

The entire system of pans A B C, Sac., is in width enough greater than the internal width of the furnace and flue, hereinafter described, (shownin Fig. 1,) upon whichitrests, that when placed thereon the entire row of pockets P, P', P2, P3, and P4 is laterally beyond the line of exposure to the tire-an arrangement which accomplishes two results: first, the liquid over that portion of the pan will not be in process of ebullition, its quietness permitting the disturbed sediment to settle and leave only clear liquid to be received by the siphon; and, second, the scum of lighter refuse thrown to the surface by the boiling in the remainder of the pan will be by the same cause driven to and accumulate at this cooler side of thepan, where it may more easily be removed. The cups k and k also render the siphon portable without reversing or emptying, and thereby afford means of instantaneously establishing communication and flow between contiguous pans by setting the filled siphon in place, and for instantaneously breaking such connection by lifting the siphon out.

The siphon, Fig. 3, is provided at its crest with a small cock, p', through which, when opened, suction may be applied to charge the siphon in the first instance.

The number of pans and the consequent number of transfers in the manner and with the effect noted may be as great as may be found necessary to completely defecate and evaporate the liquid to the point when crystallization may be effected, and the number actually at anytime employed may be limited, as desired, superfluous pans being removed, and the flue beneath them closed by the dumpers, as hereinafter explained.

The entire system of pans A B G, 85e., is designed to be placed over and rest upon the furnace shown in Fig. 1, comprising the tireboX F, out of which opens the horizontal ue G H, which, at its other extremity, opens into the vertical flue or chimney K, and the upper side of which is formed bythe bottom ot' the system of pans shown connected in Fig. 2. The flue G H is divided horizontally by a firescreen, D, extending throughout its entire length.

At the entrance to the iue and hinged to the front end of the screen D is a damper, d,

which may be turned by means of the crank4 R, extended outside the flue, so as to close at will either chamber of the divided flue G H.

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c and c are openings through the fire-screen D, affording communication between the two chambers of the iiue G H.

d and d2 are dampers hung by one lateral edge to axes extendingtransversely through the iiue G H in the plane of the fire-screen D, and at one side of the openings c c', and having bearings in the sides of the flue, which they penetrate at one end at least, appearing at It R2 outside of the tlue G H, and affording handles by which the dampers d and d2 may be rotated. The dampers d and d2 are designed to close at will either the openings c and c or the chamber G or the chamber H, and are hinged vertically below the lines of junction of the pans A, B, and G. The purpose of said dampers, arranged as described, is to divert the ame at will from one or more pans, passing it for that purpose through the lower chamber ofthe iiue, and to return it at will to any suhsequent pan or pans.

The number ofdampers may be equal to the number of pans, or may be less frequent, accordingly as it may be found necessary to handle the pans by ones or in sections ot' several.v

The first half of the corru gated-bottomed pa n A forms the top of the re-box F, and is at all times exposed to the direct heat of the fire. The damper d is designcdto divert the dame at will from the latter halfct' the pan A by closing the entrance to the chamber G ofthe flue G H.

The purpose and effect ofthe entire arrangement of flues and dampers, as described, is to enable the operator to increase or diminish the rapidity of evaporation at each stage of the process, as may he found advantageous, varying the management according to the \-'arying constituents 0f the sap to be evaporated.

When, as is usually desirable, the width of Vthe corrugated evaporator A is such that sheet metal cannot be obtained of suficient width to make the bottom in one piece, thejunction is effected, as shown in Fig. 2, by the seam o e, constructed thus: Flanges e' and u2 being turned vertically upon the contiguous edges .of the sheets to bejoined, such iian ges are brought face to face and united by solder over their entire surfaces in contact, such iiangcs and the joint thus effected being made of depth as great as the depth of the pan, or at least greater than the intended depth ot liquid in the pan. The end S of the pan A rests above the masonry of the furnace, which extends beneath it, nnderlapping the ends of the flutes t' and the seam u c, and the lowerend, T, being over the irescreeu and not exposed to the intense heat of the flame, it will occur that the seam 'v u will not be exposed beneath either end to heat sufficiently intense (considering the fact .that it is surrounded by liquid above) to melt the solder and cause it to leak, and that the intermediate portion which is exposed to the heat ot' the furnace could not be made to leak even if melted through its entire height, since it extends (and if melted, would open only) above the liquid.

Resting upon the edges and extending transversely across the fine G H, between each two consecutive pans, are chairs I, formed each of 7o two horizontal iianges, y and y, joined by vertical diaphragm or cross-stripsar. These chairs may be permanently or movahly fixed to the flue in the position described, and afford by means of the lower flanges, yf, slide-hearil'igs for the pans B and C; also, by means ot' both flangesg/ and y the apertures between the pans are closed, preventing draft through such spaces, by which the hot current or flame and smoke from the iiue G H might otherwise be carried out between the pans, depositing impurit-ies in the sirup, and by heating the sides of the pans causing the sirup to burn at the surface along the sides so exposed to such hot current.

J in Fig. 2 is a pan or trough extending along the entire system of pans A B C, and hung thereto by hooks t t. Whenit is desired for any reason to pass liquid from any pan, as A, into a subsequent pan, as G, without passing it through the intermediate pan, as B, communication is established by means ofa siphon, Fig. 3, between the pocket l? and the trough J, and by means of a similar siphon between the trough J and the pocket P3, by which arrangement the intermediate pan, B, is skipped, and the liquid is passed from pan A through the trough J to pan C.

The pans A B C, the trough J, the siphon and cups, Fig. 3, and all pipes, passage-ways, and cocks are preferably made of or heavily plated with tin upon all surfaces exposed to contact with the liquid at any stage of the process of evaporation and defecation, so preventing all discoloration which results from use of iron or copper evaporatingpans or kettles hitherto'nsed, and preventing also the introduction into the sirup of poisonous ingredients from galvanized or otherwise zinc or lead covered pans hitherto used.

The danger ofmelting off the tin and exposing the liquid to contact with the iron' is prevented by the mode of construction which exposes to the heat only the bottom and corrugations of the several pans, which, being always covered by the liquid, cannot become sufficiently heated to melt the tin from the surface; and to this result the presence otthe chairs I also contributes, by keeping the dame from contact with the sides of the pans.

The entire apparatus shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, combined as hereinabove described, is designed to be covered by and, except as hereinafter shown, inclosed within the evaporatorhouse shown in perspective elevation in Fig. 5, which is so constructed that the fire-box F opens outside of the building to prevent dust from fuel or smoke from contact with the liquid being evaporated.

The house is provided above with a fiume, L, extending above the entire length of the evaporator, through which draft from the door N carries the steam from the evaporating liquid, so preventing saturation of the air about IOC IOS

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the pans with moisture, which would delay the process of evaporation, and cause other inconvenience to those in attendance.

We are aware that corrugations have been heretofore used in evaporator-pans to increase the heatingsurface; also, that pockets to receive the sediment from the sap have heretoforebeen used insuch pans; also, that doublechambered horizontal flues communicatn g by openings closed by dampers have heretofore been used in combination with systems of evaporator-pans for the purpose ot' directing the heat to or away from any pan or pans of suchsystem 5 also, that cut-off valves operated by a float have heretof'oie been employed for the purpose of regulating the supply of liquid to evaporating-pans. We do not therefore claim these features.

We are also aware that siphons have lleretofore been employed as a means of communieating between successive pans of an evaporator system also, that an external trough, as a means of conveying the sap'from an earlier, past an intermediate, to a later pan of such system, has been employed before. We do not therefore claim these features, broadly but,

Having thus described our invention, we claim as novel and desire to secure by Letters Pateut- 1. In an evaporating apparatus, the combination therewith of the sap-supply pipe a, having the coiled section b passing through the furnace of such apparatus before leading to and discharging into the evaporator-pan, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth in the foregoing drawings and specifications.

2. In an evaporating apparatus, the combination, with the sap-supply pipe thereof, of a coiled section, b, movable into and out of the furnace of such apparatus withoutdetaching from the adjoining sections of such pipe, substantially as set forth in the foregoing drawings and specifications.

3. In a system of evaporator-pans, the combination therewith of the pockets P P P2 P3 P4, &c., the siphon lp Z, and the Siphon-cups k lo', substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth in the foregoing drawings and specifications.

4. As a means of communicating between the successive pans of an evaporator system, the Siphon lp l, opening at the receiving end at or near the bottom of and within the cup k, attached to such siphon for the purpose of excluding sediment therefrom and from succeeding pans, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with a siphon employed as a movable means of communicationbetween evaporating-pans,ot` the cups 7c and k',whose sides extend above the ports o, through which the Siphon-limbs communicate with such cups, for the purpose ot rendering such siphon easily portable without inverting, substantially as set forth. v

6. The trough J, exterior to and separably attached to the system of evaporator-pans, and communicating therewith by removable siphons, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a system of evaporator-pans heated by furnace or iue beneath such system, the chair I, comprising the horizontal flanges y and y' and the vertical diaphragm or cross-strips af, substantially iu the manner and for the purpose set forth in the foregoing drawings and specications.

GUSTAVE H. GRIMM. HORACE M. CLARK.

Witnesses:

EDWARD E. ROGERS, WxLLIE HEATH. 

